Education Report: March 31, 2022

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Here's what the Education Department at Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) has been up to over the last month.

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FSWC Programs 'Instruments of Change & Hope'

March has been a very busy month for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) education team! We worked with more than 2,000 students in elementary and secondary schools in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. Students participated in Equity and Diversity workshops, Tour for Humanity presentations and the annual Speaker's Idol competition.

While reflecting, one teacher referred to FSWC's education programs as "instruments of change and hope." Another stated that her students' experiences in FSWC's Roots of Hate and Intolerance workshop were "extremely informative, engaging and interactive. I personally love the framing of the continuum.....Stereotype to Prejudice to Racism . . . The workshop is thoroughly aligned with our classes' work on critical thinking."

In addition to the student programs, FSWC educators were pleased to work with more than 200 adults this month, offering professional development for teachers in Northern Ontario and Morocco. Lessons included the Holocaust, antisemitism and combatting online hate.

Simon Wiesenthal's belief in the power of education as a tool to interrupt cycles of hate and intolerance comes in all shapes and forms, directed at all different types of learners.

"The history of man is the history of crimes,
and history can repeat.
So information is a defence.
Through this we can build,
we must build,
a defence against repetition."
~Simon Wiesenthal

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Survivor Speakers Continue to Play Integral Role in FSWC Education Programs

While the pandemic led to restrictions that impacted so much of our lives, it did not stop Holocaust survivors from reaching audiences with their powerful testimonies. FSWC has a wonderful team of survivor speakers who willingly pivoted to online platforms in order to continue to open their hearts and share their personal experiences with audiences across Canada.

This past month, survivor speakers reached more than 500 students in both Saskatchewan and Ontario. Student questions were insightful and reflected both the Holocaust experiences they heard from the survivors as well as questions about their post-war lives, including: What did you eat during the last year of hiding while everyone was starving? How did your family get back on their feet after the war? Are any of your siblings/family members alive today?

Teachers and students often share their reactions to the survivor testimonies in follow-up email messages to FSWC educators. One high school student shared, "Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come and explain to us your story and experiences during the Holocaust. Your story really moved me, and really taught me that love has many meanings. Continue sharing your story - you are a positive role model and mentor for the generations to come!"

One teacher wrote: "Our motto is: when we look after ourselves and we look after one another, we all succeed. Our vision is to make the world a better place through informed, responsible and compassionate action. You have given us much to think about and motivate us to take action in our daily lives to honour the lessons you have shared."

The In Conversation With a Survivor speaker series, our partnership program with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights that features survivor testimony, continues to draw a growing audience every two weeks. If you weren't able to join us this month, you can watch recordings of Paul Schatzberg and Dr. Robert Krell on the FSWC YouTube channel.

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Tour for Humanity: Notes from the Road

It feels so great to be back on the road! Tour for Humanity is starting to visit schools once again as pandemic restrictions begin to lift. We have been pleased to support some York Region District School Board schools where antisemitic and other hateful graffiti was found. Students have been engaged in discussions, offering thoughtful ideas and asking important questions that are deepening their understanding of complex issues about racism and antisemitism. They have also been really thinking about how to create positive change in our world.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOUR FOR HUMANITY

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